


A Romantic View

by anoccasionalcigarette



Series: Eavesdropping [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Eavesdropping, Fairy Lights, Fluff, JJ is Team Mom, JJ's turn!, M/M, Mom to a bunch of drunk idiots, Slow Dancing, Team as Family, this is romantic babey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:42:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28860510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anoccasionalcigarette/pseuds/anoccasionalcigarette
Summary: When Rossi is willing to lend the team his mansion for a night of celebration the gang doesn't have to think twice about taking him up on it. As they stumble towards guest rooms to sleep off the consequences of letting loose JJ finds herself stepping outside for a contemplative moment - and she's not the only one taking advantage of Rossi's secluded backyard.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid
Series: Eavesdropping [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029465
Comments: 10
Kudos: 209





	A Romantic View

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to keep these focused on just the actual observation/eavesdropping aspect of it all but I couldn't help myself. Drunk BAU is fun!
> 
> I'm glad you guys are enjoying these. Thought up this one over lunch while procrastinating thinking about all the other nonsense I have to do today. It's much more fun to day dream...

“Do not go near that painting it cost more than all of your computers put together!” 

Rossi’s voice, albeit slightly slurred, still held a fair amount of authority. The bubbly blonde who had been reaching for the textures swirls of blues and purples stopped in her tracks.

“It just looks like it’d _feel_ pretty.” 

JJ had given up on trying to make sense of her friends as she corralled them down the hall in Rossi’s giant mansion. It had been a task getting them up the stairs but she had managed thanks to both their curiosity at invading more of Rossi's house and Penelope’s inclination to follow Derek Morgan wherever he went. Currently Morgan was searching for a bed with the determination of finding an unsub and he led the pack towards the bedrooms. JJ hoped he didn’t kick down any of the doors.

“If all my computers were put together, they’d make a super computer.” Garcia mused. “It could take over the world.”

Her eyes were wide and Emily snorted next to her. “Don’t worry, I think the BAU could take on your computer.”

“You think you’re smarter than a super genius robot?”

“No, but my gun is.”

Emily was a wildcard when drunk. She was a quiet instigator until someone had a good idea - and when your drunk every idea is a good idea - and then she’d become a woman of action. It was possible the computers in Rossi’s house were no longer safe.

“So are mine.” Morgan stopped his search to flex his arms. Garcia’s squeal only spurred on Emily’s eye roll.

They had all been celebrating at Rossi’s, what exactly they were celebrating was unclear. They had just earned themselves a week off after a case that had ended as well as it could have and the few members of the team who had Spring birthdays had decided they should take advantage of the situation. It was a weak attempt to get Rossi to invite everyone over. To their surprise it didn’t take much arm twisting. Rossi had supplied the night with plenty of food, desert, and champagne - he had even managed to secure a few birthday cakes at a moments notice - but unsurprisingly most of the team had focused on the champagne.

Rossi had seemed happy to invite them all over for some family time but she wondered if he was regretting it now. Looking over at the older agent she found a smile on his face. He was definitely more filled with pasta than with wine so he wasn’t in quite the state everyone else was in, but even so he didn’t seem put off by the drunk agents. Even though said FBI agents had transformed into stumbling, nosy idiots with an increased propensity to spill wine on his white carpets. 

“All this money spent on guest rooms and looks like I only needed one.” He said meeting JJ’s gaze. He gestured towards the rest of the team. Morgan now had his arms over Garcia and Emily’s shoulders as they tried to walk in step while laughing and maybe singing something? JJ couldn’t be sure. She’d have to have a few more drinks to follow their tune. Rossi was right, they were likely going to all fall into the same bed and she wasn’t going to bother separating them. Perhaps they’d wake up in the morning wondering what happened. She laughed at the idea of any of the team sleeping together. That would be ridiculous.

“I’m sure the boys will need some.” JJ said gesturing back towards the stairs. They had left Hotch and Spencer outside by the fire pit. Thankfully they could hold their liquor better than the rest of them. At least Hotch could. She wouldn’t be surprised if Spencer was already passed out in a patio chair. 

She worried about them sometimes. She was thankful they had come out tonight, seeing as they rarely did anymore. The two stubborn men could be hermits sometimes and she was always going to worry that they’d receded too far into loneliness. It had been years since Hotch’s divorce. Spencer hadn’t had a serious relationship in the time that she’d known him. Not that a romantic relationship was something you _needed_ but after years at this job and with every anniversary with Will she grew more and more appreciative of having someone to share her life with, to lean on, to help her escape. It didn’t make her any less strong to admit that and she hoped her two friends downstairs realized that one day too. She needed them both to be happy.

“I’m sure they wont want to share a bed.”

Rossi stared at her with a twinkle of something in his eye. Maybe he was a bit drunk. “If you say so.”

He stopped at a door, no longer following the trio that was quickly getting away now that they had found their rhythm and gotten in step. “This is my stop. I’m sure they’ll all find their way and nothing will be broken in the morning.” 

He said it with the air of someone who had enough money to not care if it was true or not.

“You’re leaving me with them?” She asked. The them in question was now just a far off giggling and shouts. She’d have a time finding them in this huge house.

“Sorry my dear, I have been off the clock for hours now.” He kissed her cheek. “You are too. Let them be fools. Two doors ago we passed a bedroom that has a bathroom attached. Top of the line bathtub, jets, stocked with expensive salts and scrubs. Go enjoy yourself. Be as free as the rest of the team is tonight.”

She didn’t want to think about the number of women Rossi may have entertained in that room before her, but her resolve was waning and she'd be inclined to pass out pretty soon. She said goodnight and made her way back towards the room, trying not to worry about the fact that she couldn’t hear her friends anymore. Rossi was right. It wasn’t her job to clean up any messes tonight.

She stepped into the room and found exactly what Rossi had described. It was cozy and the bathroom looked more like a spa than a guest bathroom. She didn’t make her way to the tub though, instead she wandered to the wall of windows that overlooked Rossi’s backyard. The view was inciting. Releasing some of her worry and responsibility for her team she settled into a cozy, content kind of tipsy that left her warm and sleepy. She pressed her warm cheek on the cool glass and hummed. Yeah, she had had fun tonight.

There was a balcony off the bedroom and she couldn’t resist stepping back out into the night to soak up just one more minute of the blissful evening before passing out. Nights this happy didn’t come around every day and she was thankful for the laugh lines that parties like these would leave her with as she got older. When she woke up in the morning and kicked herself for not taking off her makeup she'd probably have a less forgiving attitude towards her skin, but she wasn't going to think about that just yet.

Rossi’s backyard was beautiful of course, but it sparkled something extra through optimistic eyes. JJ basked in the glow of fairy lights twinkling through the darkness that took over the sky. The glow chased away the stars a bit but she was used to that. The city didn’t leave much room for them either.

The radio was still playing downstairs, an instrumental playlist that had softened to ballads and love songs. Rossi was always trying to inject some class into their functions, even if they all just ended up getting sloshed on his expensive wine and making fools of themselves. The delicate piano swelling with soft emotion greatly contrasted the rambunctiousness she had just left. She had to laugh.

“Come here. That’s an order.”

JJ looked out confused, wondering what it was that had Hotch making demands. She moved to the other side of the balcony and looked below to find him standing in the center of the patio with his arm outstretched. To her surprise Spencer appeared a moment later from underneath her perch on the balcony.

“I don’t dance.” He whined.

Hotch was asking him to dance. Hotch. _Hotch_ was asking _Spencer_ to dance. Maybe she did have too much to drink.

Hotch laughed and the sound felt foreign to her. Their conversation sounded light and far away, only just drifting up to her in the spring breeze. Hotch had taken off his jacket but hadn’t lost any of his authoritative demeanor. He still looked perfectly put together even though JJ had suspected he was a few drinks over what he had planned.

Spencer hadn’t shed any layers, still dressed in his slim fit blazer over a sweater. The flush on his cheeks could likely be attributed to both the warmth of the evening and the alcohol. Rossi should have known better than to hire a bartender that knew bar tricks. It was too close to magic. She watched her best friend approach their boss carefully, hesitant to meet his hand. Hotch wasn't at all deterred.

“Baby _please_.” 

JJ was hearing things. JJ had already passed out in one of Rossi’s guest rooms and was dreaming. JJ certainly did NOT hear Hotch just call Spencer baby.

“I’ll teach you.” 

Spencer finally submitted to his pleas and stepped closer, the smile on his face indicating that he would have done so regardless of Hotch’s begging. JJ had never heard Hotch beg for anything in his life. She hadn’t thought the serious unit chief was capable.

She watched with a breath held, suspended above them in this intimate moment. Hotch pulled Spencer in towards him, hooking his fingers into his belt loops before giving it a yank, connecting their hips. Spencer gave a small yelp of surprise and grabbed Hotch’s arms for support. He raised an eyebrow at Hotch but then looked down at their hips bashfully.

Hotch’s hands steadied themselves on either side of Spencer’s waist and he just stood there a moment, breathing in. “You've never had a problem following my lead.”

Spencer looked up at him and before he could reply Hotch was kissing his nose, or at least part of his nose and some of his cheek, his aim not as accurate as it might be when he was sober or out in the field. Spencer laughed and closed his eyes. Their foreheads met and he ran his hands up Hotch’s arms until they met behind his neck and he settled in. 

Hotch followed suit bringing his hands together behind Spencer, pulling him into a tighter embrace. He started moving them, slowly swaying side to side to the soft beats of the instrumental music. JJ recognized the song, it had played at her wedding. _Did Hotch and Spencer sneak off to dance together then?_

She watched them for a moment, a twinge of sadness cutting through the shock and awe of her discovery. Their body language spoke of an intimacy built up over time, closer than she would have thought Spencer was capable of. How did she not know this of her friend? How had she not seen the change in her boss? She saw them both daily, knew the team almost better than her own family. They _were_ her family. Did they not feel they could trust them? Trust her?

She supposed that was a selfish thought. She could see why they would keep it secret, stay hidden from the team. This wasn’t hers to share this was for them and she would be happy for the secret couple that they were able to keep it that way. She knew she was intruding now, but she still didn’t move. She couldn’t take her eyes off them.

“This is it?”

Hotch pulled his head back at his lover’s questioning. A raised eyebrow and dark eyes surveyed his partner's face. Even though the look was glare-adjacent JJ had never seen an expression so soft, so open from the man. She didn’t know this man. Only Spencer did. “Not satisfied?” 

“I thought you were gonna teach me to dance.” Spencer said in mock disappointment, but he couldn’t quite manage a convincing frown.

“We are dancing.”

“Is this dance called something?”

“No.”

“Does it have steps?” 

“No.”

“Then how is it a dance?”

Hotch moved one of his hands to Spencer’s hair. Pushing some out of his eyes to get an unobscured picture of the glint of his eyes as he teased his dance partner. They were the same height, neither looking down at the other, just across at each other as if perfectly aligned. When Hotch kept his hand in Spencer’s curls the genius hooked one of his arms underneath Hotch's raised arm so he could hug him a bit closer. He laid his head on Hotch’s shoulder. Even from a distance JJ caught the swell of emotion that shuddered through her boss. Spencer’s hair flit, and she was sure it was because of a breath Hotch just released rather than the breeze.

“Why does that matter?”

“I was under the impression I was going to learn something.” Spencer grumbled into his neck. 

Hotch kissed the side of his head, releasing a chuckle into his hair. They both swayed until the song ended, and even some after that. JJ wiped a tear from her eye, completely unaware that she had shed one. Her heart was racing because she could _feel_ the emotion she was seeing. She thought of her love for Will and Henry. She wished she had brought them, yearned to be there dancing with Will but she was glad she wasn’t. She would never dare intrude on this moment between two men in her life who undoubtedly deserved that happiness too.

“JJ!” She heard someone call from within the house. It sounded far away enough she doubted the couple below had heard but she backed away from the edge anyway, just in case. She quickly slipped back into the room to go resume her role as team mom, suddenly eager to surround herself with family, and if the click of the sliding door was heard by the dancing lovers she didn’t notice.

She made her way to the giggling ready to find her teammates in some ridiculous position, likely all pilled in one bed or playing hide and seek in Rossi’s giant mansion. It was another kind of happiness that she was thankful her and the team shared, but the surge of joy in her heart was clearly in response to what she had witnessed. Knowing that those two had their own family beyond what the team had was surprising but incredible. She was honored and contented to have witnessed that delicate display of their love. _The two of them were going to be ok._


End file.
